If you didn't know that the Maison Rabih Kayrouz show opened to "Gangsta's Paradise," you might have a different perception of the first look. But now that you do (and where is Coolio these days?), you can better appreciate how Kayrouz crossed codes of high and low to arrive at his dynamic Spring collection. The designer based his narrative on a privileged girl who dreams of grittier horizons—let's call it aspirational in reverse. That's why the roses, on a print developed in-house, registered more brash than beautiful—and why they were caged in black grosgrain and surrounded by ivory. Kayrouz's high-shine satin was intentionally "tacky," he said backstage, going so far as to admit this was a "dangerous" choice.

Most of the time, however, he treaded carefully. By ensuring that his papery, lacquered leather seemed opulent, Kayrouz gave himself permission to introduce a dotted viscose skirt in a questionable shade of ultraviolet. That same knit appeared in ivory, haphazardly wrapped around a well-finished collarless white shirt. The designer also recoded pinstripe into a boxer robe and had Walter Steiger conceive practical sandals, primped up with a flat bow. Sheer, diaphanous caftans had allure but belonged to another collection.

Kayrouz showed his distinctive knack for manipulating fabric. To wit, the overskirt that fronted a pair of pinstriped pants consisted of two pieces of the same material from the legs that had been pulled through and draped over the waistband. When a sleeveless lace sweatshirt was slipped under a one-shoulder polka-dot tunic, the result was a clash of cool.